NVIDIA GPU failure fallout continues, Apple extends warranty

Apple is trying to do MacBook Pro owners right by adding an extra year to the …

If you're a MacBook Pro owner having problems with a faulty NVIDIA GPU, Apple has good news for you. The company has extended the special repair warranty for certain NVIDIA-equipped MacBook Pros from two to three years.

As discovered by AppleInsider, Apple has recently updated the support page that explains the problem to reflect the extended coverage. When Apple discovered the problem last year, it initially extended coverage of GPU repairs for MacBook Pros with the NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT GPU to two years, regardless of whether the standard warranty had expired or not. Now users experiencing graphics problems with such a MacBook Pro can take it in for evaluation if it is within three years from the date of original purchase. Apple notes that such machines were produced from May 2007 to September 2008.

NVIDIA is still suffering from the fallout of GPUs that were manufactured with a faulty contact material inside its package which can potentially fail over time. The contact failures generally result in unusual lines in the display or no display at all. While NVIDIA admitted last year that some GPUs were faulty, the problem is suspected to be more widespread than NVIDIA let on. The company is facing a class action suit from shareholders over the brouhaha as well as one from purchasers of laptops with faulty graphics, including one MacBook Pro owner.

The upside for Mac owners is that other NVIDIA GPUs used by Apple, in particular the GeForce 9400M chipset used in most of Apple's current hardware, don't appear to be affected. AppleInsider notes that there have been some claims that NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GPUs in the current MacBook Pros may suffer from the same problem, but those claims have so far been denied by NVIDIA.

The other upside is that, even if you are experiencing problems, Apple is committed to taking care of the problem. Aside from the extended repair warranty for the issue, Apple is issuing refunds for those that paid for repairs related to the issue. Further, Apple says it will "continue to evaluate the repair data and will provide further repair extensions as needed."